The
2015 WSTDA Fall Meeting schedule features opportunities for industry
education, networking, and discussions on technical issues; Technical
Committees will also work on recommended standards review and
development. Hosted at the premier Omni Providence Hotel, the hotel is
offering special WSTDA group room rates, putting WSTDA attendees in the
center of all that downtown Providence has to offer.
PROGRAM FEATURES FOR FALL 2015:
-
WSTDA’s Technical Committees
will each hold two meetings; working sessions where progress
will be made on current projects such as WSTDA Recommended
Standards reviews; and interactive Discussion Forums where
attendees have the opportunity to
submit discussion topics in advance of each session.
-
An Educational Session will
feature a presentation by Keith Buzzell of Yale Cordage,
Inc. and Vice Chair of Technical Committees for the Cordage
Institute, on rope slings and how they compare and contrast
to roundslings and web slings.
-
Networking… during the
interactive discussion forums, open Technical Committee
meetings, and social events after busy days of programming.
A special evening at Gracie’s, a local favorite, will
feature more networking opportunities over cocktails and
dinner—all included in the registration fee.
Hotel reservations at the special WSTDA
group rate must be made no later than 5:00 PM Eastern on Friday,
September 4, 2015 or when the group room block fills, whichever comes
first. Discounted registration ends September 4, after which
registration fees increase.
For detailed information and registration please visit the
Fall Meeting site. Also,
register online today!
2015
Fall Meeting Sponsors
Thank you to American Webbing &
Fitting, Inc. which will sponsor the WSTDA Welcome Reception on
October 6… and to Southern Weaving Company, a Gold Sponsor!
There are several Sponsorship opportunities available for the 2015 Fall
Meeting… increase your exposure and help to support WSTDA’s programs
and activities by becoming a Sponsor.
Click here for details on sponsorship opportunities.
WSTDA
2015 Annual Meeting Recap
WSTDA gathered at the waterfront in Vancouver, BC for the 2015 Annual
Meeting this past May. The meeting provided educational and networking
opportunities, participation in committee meetings, and the opportunity
to explore the beautiful city of Vancouver.
DETAILS
WSTDA
Officers, Directors Elected at 2015 Annual Meeting
|
The members of WSTDA elected the 2015-2017 Board of
Directors at the 2015 Annual Meeting. The Board of
Directors also appointed the association’s Officers for
2015-2016.
Jeff Iden, Cargo Equipment Corporation, Elgin, IL
continues his term as President of the Association.
Supporting Iden is a strong cabinet of Officers
including Vice President Greg Pilgrim, Murdock Webbing
Co., Inc., Central Falls, RI and |
Tom Wynn, left, departing Past President, presents WSTDA
president Jeff Iden with a plaque thanking him for his
service during the past year. |
Secretary/Treasurer Jim Bailey, Filtec Precise Inc., Tabor City, NC.
The 2015-2016 Board of Directors includes Scott Fleming, Unirope
Limited, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; Karl Heinz Keisewitt, Doleco
GmbH, Dortmund, Germany; Henry Brozyna, Columbus McKinnon Corp.,
Tonawanda, NY; Trevor Waycott, Unitex Group USA, LLC, Piedmont, SC;
James Calico, ANCRA International, Inc., Erlanger, KY; and Della Picken,
Belt-Tech Products, Inc., Granby, QC.
Jim Bailey, WSTDA Secretary/Treasurer, Greg Pilgrim, WSTDA
Vice-President, and Tom Wynn, retiring Past President, receive plaques
from President Jeff Iden, in recognition of their service to WSTDA.
Henry Brozyna, Karl
Keisewitt, Loren Stolin, Scott Fleming and Trevor Waycott receive
plaques for their service on the Board of Directors.
Committee Chairs Charles Lucas (Testing Technical Committee), Greg Crain
(Web Sling Technical Committee), Loren Stolin (Load Securement Technical
Committee), Greg Babinchak (Roundsling Technical Committee) and Mike
Gelskey, Jr. (Legal Resource Committee) receive plaques for their
service to the Association.
2015-2016 WSTDA Scholarship
Program Draws Nearly 20 Applicants
WSTDA’s
Scholarship Program, launched in 2013 and promoted widely to qualified
WSTDA-member employees and their legal dependents, has attracted nearly
20 applicants, who are competing for two merit-based awards of $3,000
each to help with tuition and educational expenses for attendance at a
qualified college or university in 2015-2016.
Fourteen WSTDA member organizations are sponsoring Scholarship
applicants; three members are sponsoring multiple applicants. Member
representatives were informed of the program via the WSTDA website,
newsletter, direct email messages, and through announcements at the 2015
Annual Meeting in in May. The application deadline was June 30th.
A Scholarship Committee is currently reviewing and scoring the qualified
applications, and an announcement of the Scholarship award recipients
will be made on or before August 17, 2015.
The program is currently funded by the WSTDA operating budget, and
donations are welcome to ensure its continued success. To make a
donation, click the above link or contact WSTDA headquarters for
information.
WSTDA Quick Pulse Survey:
2015 1st and 2nd Quarter Analysis
WSTDA’s 2015 1st and 2nd Quarter “Quick Pulse Survey” responses reflect
the continuing trend of steady and some rising demand for web slings,
roundslings, tie downs, and components and material supplies, which were
each rising during the 1st quarter of 2015, along with a slight uptick
in profit margins on these products. Exports of web slings, roundslings
and tie downs are all performing solidly, staying even with through the
1st and 2nd quarters.
Over 45% of respondents are looking toward “above normal growth” for the
next nine months, and over 80% of respondents are basing business
planning on growth through the next year, including hiring spikes to
accommodate rising demand.
These are just some of the insights provided by WSTDA’s quarterly Quick
Pulse survey, which helps business owners gauge the current and future
business environment to compare to their own operations and help guide
their business forecasting and planning. WSTDA’s quarterly Quick Pulse
Survey is the only source for the overall outlook for growth,
employment, demand, margin expansion/contraction, supply shortages
(labor, goods) and exporting activity in the web sling and tie down
industry. It is a useful tool for analysis by business owners who need
to gauge the current and future business environment to help guide their
business forecasting and planning.
Broad participation in the quarterly Quick Pulse survey is paramount, so
that results truly reflect the industry as a whole. Following the end of
each calendar quarter, WSTDA emails a survey request to one person at
each member organization. No company’s individual responses are
released; only an aggregated report is provided to WSTDA members.
Be sure to participate in this free service provided by WSTDA by
responding to the 3rd quarter survey, coming in early October.
WSTDA Welcomes New
Members
WSTDA has welcomed 11 new members since we published the last issue of
Uplifting News., including eight Regular Members and three Associate
Members. WSTDA Membership stands at an all-time high of 131 Members, and
growing!
DETAILS
LEGAL CORNER
Employer and
Employee Disregard Manufacturer's Warning and Lose Case
If a manufacturer expressly warns
against using a product in a certain way in clear and direct
language accompanied by an easy to understand pictogram, it is
expected that an ordinary consumer would not use the product in
contravention of the express warning. If the plaintiff cannot
demonstrate that the manufacturer should have reasonably
expected users to disregard the warning, the plaintiff’s case
fails (Sistrunk v. Dake Corp., 2015 WL 4164910 (E.D. La.,
2015)). Applying these two principles to the case at hand, the
court granted summary judgment for the manufacturer and
dismissed the plaintiff’s case.
DETAILS
